Soon after Christine Blasey Ford, a Palo Alto University professor, came forward to speak publicly about an allegation that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in high school, senators, including Republicans, urged that the confirmation vote be delayed until the Senate Judiciary Committee heard from Ford. With the possibility that Ford will testify, it’s hard to avoid comparing Kavanaugh to the other modern Supreme Court nominee accused of sexual misconduct during his nomination: Clarence Thomas, who was nominated by George H.W. Bush in 1991.
The two cases have many differences, not least among them the cultural context in which they did and are taking place. But looking back, how did the public respond to Anita Hill’s sexual harassment allegations against Thomas in 1991, and what might that tell us about how the public might respond to Kavanaugh now? CONT.
Janie Velencia, FiveThirtyEight